Overview of Contracts for Web Designers and Developers

The presentation talks about the highlights of contracts. The slides are focused on Web Designers and Developers. At the end are some examples of how to bring up the topic of contracts with clients.

Transcript

1. #wcmke 1 WordCamp Milwaukee – 2013 Keeping it real with contracts Drew Hart
2. #wcmke DISCLAIMER AND LIBABILITY THIS PRESENTATION AND ITS CONTENTS A R E N E V E R A SUBSTITUTE TO LEGAL A D V I C E . B E C A U S E EVERY SITUATION CAN BE DIFFERENT, ONLY A LAWYER CAN ANSWER Y O U R L E G A L Q U E S T I O N S A N D ASSIST YOU WITH A CONTRACT. 2 THE CONTENT HEREIN ARE EXAMPLES ONLY AND SOURCED FROM P U B L I C A L L Y A V A I L A B L E R E S O U R C E S A N D COME WITHOUT ANY G U A R A N T E E A N D SHOULD BE TREATED A S G E N E R A L INFORMATION.
3. #wcmke drew /droo härt/! Person! Serial entrepreneur with 14 years of professional experience working at Fortune 500 and startups. Currently partner at Snow Day Group.! Verb! Simple past tense of draw.! 3
4. #wcmke Here’s what we’ll cover. Why contracts are important The anatomy of an Agreement
 How to enforce a contract Creating (or updating) your contract 4
5. #wcmke Why contracts matter. Helps protect you and your client Sets expectations if things go wrong Keeps everyone focused It’s the final word Confirms your credibility 5
6. #wcmke con Ÿ tract /ˈkäntrakt/! Noun! A written or spoken agreement, esp. one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law.! Verb! Decrease in size, number, or range.! Synonyms! noun. agreement - covenant - treaty - pact - compact! verb. shrink - narrow! 6
7. #wcmke Anatomy of a contract. 7 Payments Acceptance Accreditation Deadlines Delays Property rights Damages Disputes Change requests General
8. #wcmke Anatomy – Payments 8
9. #wcmke Anatomy – Acceptance 9
10. #wcmke Anatomy – Accreditation 10
11. #wcmke Anatomy – Deadlines / Delays 11
12. #wcmke Anatomy – Property Rights 12
13. #wcmke Anatomy – Disputes & Damages 13
14. #wcmke Anatomy – Change Requests 14
15. #wcmke Don’t wait to bring it up. Confirm client requests Relevant project milestones Misunderstandings or disagreements 15
16. #wcmke How to bring it up. Be positive with the client “Agreed and that will look great. We’ll wait to receive the image and I’ll confirm if this will push out the go-live date.” Be direct and helpful “We are always happy to meet your needs. In this instance we’ll need to amend the Agreement. I’ll send you a draft for review.” Get a lawyer 16
17. #wcmke Getting started on a contract. Copy and paste Understand the contract. Line by line. Hire someone 17
18. #wcmke Resources. Ø  http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/04/03/legal-guide-contract-samples- for-designers/ Ø  http://www.mayhemstudios.com/Portfolio_Stuff/Contract/MS_ContractC.pdf Ø  http://tri.be/update-the-shane-peter-inc-contract/ Ø  http://24ways.org/2008/contract-killer/ Ø  https://gist.github.com/malarkey/4031110 Ø  http://www.docracy.com/ 18